FIC: Summer Vacation III: Honeymoon in Japan, Part 9 of 9

[geri_chan]

Title: Summer Vacation III: Honeymoon in Japan, Part 9 of 9
Rating: NC-17 overall
Pairing: Aric/Takeshi, Snape/Lupin
Word count: ~5,860
Author's note: {} Indicates character's unspoken thoughts
Disclaimer: Based on the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling; no money is being made off this story; consider it a little wish fulfillment on my part.
Warning: AU; this is a continuation of the Always series, but the main focus is on Aric and Takeshi, and Snape and Lupin appear mainly as supporting characters.
Sequel to: Always, Summer Vacation, For Old Time's Sake, Three's a Crowd, Return of the Raven, Phoenix Reborn, Phoenix Rising, Aftermaths, The Revenant, and Ash's Story. Although it's not so much a sequel to the latter two stories as it is a companion piece. The Revenant, Ash's Story, and Summer Vacation III all begin at around the same time, a couple of days after the ending of Aftermaths, and pretty much run concurrently.
Summary: Aric finally receives his feather robe; Snape and Lupin welcome their new colleague to Hogwarts.

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8

***

Aric decided that one trip into the city was enough for him, but over the next week or so, they paid visits to Kamiyama-sensei's temple, and to the Muggle village located near the temple. There were still cars and electricity and whatnot in the village, but things were quieter and a little less hectic there, so he enjoyed his visits there more. There were lots of good places to eat, and the villagers were very friendly. And if they thought Aric was a little odd, they chalked it up to him being a gaijin who was unfamiliar with Japanese culture. They were used to the local priest having eccentric visitors, whom Kamiyama passed off as scholars studying Japanese history.

During this time, Ichiro was working on Aric's kimono, but wouldn't let them see it until it was done. And finally, shortly before they were due to return home to England, Ichiro announced that the kimono was finished.

He brought it to the guest cottage when Takeshi and Aric were alone one afternoon; Takeshi's parents had taken their grandchildren out on a picnic. Ichiro had folded up the kimono and wrapped it in plain cloth--to protect the silk, he said, although Aric suspected that he also wanted to draw out the suspense. Aric watched, eager and impatient, while Ichiro slowly unwrapped the parcel and held up the kimono for them to see.

It was an ankle-length robe of glossy midnight-black silk--the exact same shade as Takeshi's hair--with long, wide sleeves; the edges were trimmed with a border of shimmering silver. It was difficult to tell in the afternoon sunlight, but Aric could almost swear that the silver cloth would shine in the dark--not a flashy metallic glare, but rather a soft glow, like the light of the moon. It was simply cut and designed, but very elegant and beautiful.

"It's lovely, Niisan," Takeshi said.

"It's beautiful," Aric said in heartfelt agreement. "Thank you so much, Ichiro...Niisan."

"You're welcome, little brother," Ichiro replied, smiling at him warmly. "But you haven't seen the rest of it yet." He turned the robe around so that they could see the back, and Aric gasped. A full silver moon was painted on the back of the kimono--no, not painted; upon closer inspection, silver thread had been woven into the actual fabric of the robe--and the moon outlined the black silhouette of a howling wolf. Again, it was a simple design, and yet breathtakingly beautiful. He and Takeshi just stared at it for a long moment, and Ichiro asked anxiously, "Do you like it?"

"Oh, Niisan," Takeshi whispered, tears welling in his eyes. "It's perfect."

Aric had to blink back a tear or two himself. "It's...it's beautiful, Ichiro," he said in a husky voice. "I just don't know what else to say."

"Your face says it all," Ichiro replied with a smile, looking pleased and relieved. "I'm glad that you like it."

"I love it, Niisan," Takeshi said. He wrapped his arms around Aric, kissed him on the cheek, and laughed, "It's perfect! The wolf looks just like Aric."

Aric laughed along with him, leaning into his mate's embrace. "I'll have to take your word for it. I've never looked at myself in a mirror when I was a wolf."

"Try it on, Aric," Takeshi urged.

"I'll take my leave now," Ichiro said. "I'm glad that you like the kimono."

"Don't you want to see how it looks on Aric, Niisan?" Takeshi asked.

"It's a lover's token," Ichiro said, smiling at them knowingly. "I think that for the first time, at least, Aric ought to don it in private, for your eyes alone." He chuckled as Takeshi and Aric both blushed, then bowed and Disapparated.

"Um..." Aric said, suddenly feeling inexplicably shy and self-conscious. He wanted to tell Takeshi to leave the room or turn his back while he got dressed, which was rather silly, considering how many times they'd seen each other naked.

"It's a little too late to be worrying about your modesty, my wolf," Takeshi teased, but obligingly turned his back to Aric while he undressed.

Aric stripped down to his underpants, then picked up the kimono, marveling at how fine and delicate the cloth felt, light as gossamer, as if it had been woven from cobwebs or...well...feathers. But when he tentatively tugged at the cloth, he could tell that it was much stronger than it looked, and he suspected that it would not tear even if he pulled at it with all his werewolf strength--not that he intended to put it to the test.

He slipped his arms into the sleeves of the kimono and gasped out loud at the incredibly sensuous feeling of the silk sliding across his skin. He'd worn silk shirts before, but he'd never felt anything as smooth and soft as this--except for Takeshi's hair and feathers. A soft moan escaped his lips as he wrapped the robe around himself, feeling the silk glide across the bare skin of his arms and legs, his back and chest, like the gentle caress of a lover. The cloth brushed against his nipples, just the slightest feather-light touch, but they hardened instantly, and Aric bit down hard on his lower lip to suppress another moan. He suddenly felt an urge to take off his underpants and let the silk touch the most intimate parts of his body. As it was, he was practically ready to orgasm just from the sensation of the silk touching his skin in places that he didn't normally consider particularly erogenous.

Takeshi turned around when he heard the moan. "Are you all right?" he asked.

"Yeah," Aric mumbled, ducking his head to hide his blush. He held the edges of the robe together, since the kimono had no buttons or fastenings, and looked around for a belt.

"Here, let me help you," Takeshi volunteered. It turned out that there was a silver sash in the parcel Ichiro had left behind, and Takeshi helped Aric tie it around his waist, smoothing down the folds of the kimono and wrapping it a little more securely around Aric's body as he did so.

The light pressure of his lover's hands touching him through a layer of silk felt so incredible that it was almost unbearable. "There is no way that I can ever wear this thing in public, 'Keshi," he groaned.

"Why not?" Takeshi asked, taking a couple of steps back to look Aric over and gaze at him admiringly. "You look very handsome."

"It's not that," Aric said. "It's just..." He decided that it would be easier to show his mate rather than explain it to him, and grabbed Takeshi's hand, pulling it between the folds of the robe and pressing it firmly against his crotch.

"Oh!" Takeshi gasped, looking startled and amused. "I see," he murmured, his fingers closing around Aric's erection, gently stroking and teasing him through the cloth of his underpants.

Aric groaned again, thinking about how incredible it would feel if Takeshi was stroking him through the silk cloth instead. He wondered if he could ask his brother-in-law to make him some feather-silk underwear, then decided that he would be too embarrassed.

"The silk just feels so...incredible," Aric said, in a low, husky growl. "I've never felt silk so smooth. But it's not just the quality of the silk--it's knowing that it's made from your feathers. It's like wearing you on my skin, feeling you wrapped around me. It's unbelievably erotic...I've never felt anything like it." He wrapped his arms around Takeshi's waist and pulled him close. "I'll never be able to wear this robe without getting turned on," he growled into Takeshi's ear, and felt his mate shiver with pleasure. He dropped his mouth lower, to kiss and nip at Takeshi's neck. "I'll never be able to wear it without wanting to grab you and take you, right then and there, no matter where we are."

"Then wear it just for me, my wolf," Takeshi whispered, and kissed him.

Aric returned the kiss hungrily, greedily, almost devouring rather than kissing his mate's mouth. Takeshi let his hands drift upwards, slowly and languidly caressing Aric's chest and back through the silk, until Aric was forced to break off the kiss and moan loudly. To feel Takeshi's hands moving across his body, not touching his skin directly but caressing him through the silk, the coolness of the cloth providing a stark contrast to his overheated body, ironically both soothing him and enflaming him further at the same time--it was all so exquisitely pleasurable that it was like a kind of blissful torture. He was so overwhelmed that all he could do for a few minutes was to just stand in place, moaning helplessly.

And then Takeshi lowered his head and closed his mouth over Aric's nipple, licking and sucking and nibbling at it through the silk, the cloth growing damp as his saliva soaked through it, and Aric finally lost control, instinctively letting the wolf take over. He shoved Takeshi down on the futon mattress, tearing frantically at his clothes. Fortunately, Takeshi had taken to wearing a kimono most of the time while they were living in the valley--because if he'd had to deal with buttons, Aric would probably have just ripped the shirt off his mate's body.

He kissed and nipped at his lover's bare skin, allowing Takeshi to caress him through the silk a little longer, until he finally took off his own kimono with slightly more care than he'd removed Takeshi's, a small part of his mind still being rational enough not to want to damage his brother-in-law's precious gift. Takeshi groaned, arching his body upwards to rub against Aric's, and the feeling of skin on skin was even better than the feeling of the silk against his skin. Aric felt like he'd died and gone to heaven.

He kissed the hollow of Takeshi's throat, then lightly scraped his teeth against the soft skin there as Takeshi moaned again. He bit down, gently at first, his tongue stroking the flesh caught between his teeth, tasting the salt of sweat on his lover's skin. Then he bit and sucked harder as Takeshi's body writhed beneath his with growing urgency, until he pulled away and saw with satisfaction that he'd left behind a large bruise on Takeshi's throat, the wolf's mark on its mate.

"Mine," Aric growled, his eyes glittering ferally, and he abruptly flipped Takeshi over onto his stomach. He wanted to take his mate, claim him the way that a wolf would. Takeshi must have cast a summoning charm, although Aric hadn't heard him utter an incantation, because he pushed a jar of mint-scented cream into Aric's hand. Aric scooped out a handful of cream and liberally coated himself with it. He was already so aroused that he nearly came on the spot, and only sheer stubbornness enabled him to rein in his libido--that and the wolf's determination to claim its mate. Simple masturbation would not suffice; he needed to feel himself inside his mate, needed to make his mate cry out in pleasure.

His hand trembling slightly from the effort it took to control his desire, he reached out and pressed first one and then two fingers into his mate. He tried not to be too rough, but his need was too great for gentleness. But Takeshi didn't seem to mind; in fact, he pushed himself up onto his hands and knees, driving Aric's fingers deeper inside him. "Mine," Aric growled again, his fingers moving with more speed and enthusiasm now that he knew that he wasn't hurting his mate. "You're mine," Aric growled, pushing a third finger into his mate, feeling a fierce sense of triumph and possessiveness when Takeshi cried out loud.

"Y...yours," Takeshi gasped. "I'm...yours." He groaned, his body rocking back and forth, moving in sync with Aric's fingers. "Please...take me...claim me...I'm yours...my wolf."

Aric didn't wait to be asked twice. He withdrew his hand and slammed hard into his mate with a swift thrust. "Mine...mine...mine," he growled, over and over again as he pounded into his mate relentlessly, with no finesse, no attempt at prolonging things for his lover's pleasure, nothing but raw animalistic lust.

A tiny sliver of consciousness beneath the lust of the wolf that was fogging Aric's mind felt guilt over using his mate so crudely. But when he reached beneath him, sliding his hand down Takeshi's belly and between his legs, he could feel how hard his mate was, how much his mate wanted him. He began stroking Takeshi quickly and roughly in time with his thrusts, knowing that he wasn't going to be able to last for more than a couple of minutes and wanting to bring his mate along with him when he came.

"Y-yours," Takeshi gasped, his body moving in perfect rhythm with Aric's. "Yours...oh yes...please...all yours..."

When he couldn't hold back any longer, Aric leaned forward, pressing his chest against Takeshi's back, pressing his nose to Takeshi's skin and drinking in the scent of his mate. And then he snarled and sank his teeth into the back of Takeshi's neck. Takeshi cried out, climaxing instantly, and Aric threw back his head and howled as he spilled his seed into his mate, the wolf's way of triumphantly announcing to the world that he had claimed his mate as his own.

They collapsed onto the mattress together, gasping for breath, and Aric automatically rolled over so that he wasn't smothering his mate with the weight of his body.

"Sorry," he said, feeling sated and yet slightly disgruntled with himself.

"What for?" Takeshi asked, snuggling against Aric's side. "That was wonderful."

"Mm...well, I could've lasted a bit longer," Aric said sheepishly. "What happened to all that werewolf stamina that Lupin told you about?" He turned his head and glanced at the black-and-silver kimono which was now lying on the floor. "I guess the silk got me all worked up..."

Takeshi laughed, reaching out to trace random patterns on Aric's chest with his fingertips; Aric growled softly with pleasure. "If I had known how 'worked up' it would get you, I might have had Niisan weave the robe for you earlier."

"It got me a little too worked up," Aric said ruefully.

"We can try again later," Takeshi said with a smile. "After I've had a chance to recover."

"I think that I'm beginning to recover," Aric said, nuzzling Takeshi's neck with renewed interest. "Have I ever told you how good you smell?"

"Aric, I'm not a werewolf!" Takeshi laughingly protested. "I need a little more time than that!"

"How much more time?" Aric asked with a grin, continuing to nuzzle his mate's neck while his hands began roaming across his mate's body.

"Ah..." Takeshi sighed.

"Maybe it won't take as much time as you think," Aric murmured. "Didn't Lupin say that the wolf's desire is contagious?"

"Mmm...it's just a theory...ahh..."

Theory or not, things were starting to look promising, when to Aric's horror, he suddenly heard the sound of small footsteps running down the hall towards their room, and the twins' voices calling, "Takeshi-niisan! Aric-niisan! Are you home?"

"Argh!" Aric exclaimed, jumping up from the mattress and scrambling frantically for his wand. "Your parents came back early with the twins and the door's not locked!" There actually weren't any manual locks on the sliding doors of the bedroom, so they had to be locked magically. In fact, the crane folk didn't normally lock the doors of their houses at all, since theft was not a problem in the isolated valley, and the crane folk all respected one another's privacy. Except of course for the young children who didn't seem to have a proper understanding of privacy...

Takeshi calmly chanted an incantation and made a gesture with his hands just before Kumi and Shoko would have burst into the room.

"Hey, the door's locked!"

"What are you doing in there, Takeshi-niisan?"

"We'll be right out," Takeshi called out cheerfully, but Aric could hear the suppressed laughter in his voice.

"Kumi-chan, Shoko-chan!" Haruko's voice called, in a gently chiding tone. "It's rude to enter someone's room without being invited. Come, I'll fix you a snack while we wait for Takeshi and Aric."

Takeshi fell back onto the mattress laughing hysterically while Aric glared at him.

"Well, I'm glad somebody thinks that's funny," Aric said in a surly voice. "What if they had walked in on us like this?!"

"I...I'm sorry, Aric," Takeshi gasped between fits of laughter. "It's just...you should have seen...the expression on your face!" Then he gave up trying to speak, and just lay there laughing so hard that tears were running down his cheeks. Aric growled sulkily, then cast a cleaning spell and began to get dressed while he waited for his mate to recover.

"I'm sorry, love," Takeshi finally said, wiping the tears from his eyes. He reached for his clothes and said with a grin, "I guess I'll have to take a rain check." Aric sulked a little longer, but he couldn't really stay mad at his mate, particularly when Takeshi came over and kissed him lightly on the mouth, then whispered, "I'll make it up to you tonight."

Aric kissed him back, then picked the silk kimono up off the floor and hung it carefully in the closet. "I'll wear this again," he said. "But not until we're alone and I'm sure that we won't be interrupted."

***

A few days later, Aric returned home with the Kimura family, the black-and-silver kimono packed safely away in his suitcase. Tsubasa went along with them, and most of the inhabitants of the valley turned up to see him off, somewhat to Aric's surprise.

"They might think that he's a little odd," Takeshi whispered into Aric's ear. "They might even disapprove of his lifestyle, but he is still part of the clan, so they will still turn out to bid him farewell and wish him a safe journey."

"It's a journey of an instant," Aric pointed out, as they were traveling by Portkey.

"To wish him well in his new life, then," Takeshi said with a smile.

Tsubasa hugged and kissed his parents goodbye, promising to write often. Ichiro gave him a surprise gift of a few British-style robes, shirts, and trousers that he had sewn himself. "I know that you prefer to wear a kimono and hakama," Ichiro said as he handed over the package. "But you never know when you might need a formal dress robe for a school function."

"Thank you," Tsubasa said, accepting the package with a small bow. "I'll wear them with pride."

Even Kazuhiko had turned out to see Tsubasa off, and gave him a beautiful silk fan painted with a landscape featuring the lake in the valley. "So that you do not forget your birthplace," he said, although the pessimistic look on his face said that he thought it was probably already too late.

Tsubasa accepted the gift graciously, though, and said politely, "I would never forget my place of birth, Kazuhiko-sama. It will always be in my heart no matter how far away I am."

"Don't worry, Kazuhiko-sama," Haruko said with a gentle smile. "We'll look after Tsubasa-kun and take good care of him."

Kazuhiko bowed silently in reply, but a quick and pointed glance at Aric indicated that he did not think very highly of her ability to look after her own son, let alone someone else's. Takeshi and Haruko looked more amused than annoyed, so Aric decided not to take offense.

They took the Portkey to the restaurant, and from there, they helped Tsubasa move his luggage through the Floo to his new home at Hogwarts. Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, and Lupin were there to greet him and show him around the castle, so once all of Tsubasa's bags had been sent through, Aric and Takeshi took the Floo to their own apartment.

"Ah, bliss!" Aric sighed happily. "Not that I don't love your family, 'Keshi, but it's nice to finally be alone with you."

"Oh?" Takeshi asked, feigning a look of wide-eyed innocence. "And what would you like to do now that we're finally alone?"

Aric wrapped his arms around his lover's waist and pulled him close. "Oh, I'm sure I'll think of something..."

***

"Here you are," Lupin said cheerfully, ushering Tsubasa into his new quarters. "You've been assigned my old rooms, since the DADA instructor's quarters are vacant for obvious reasons." He smiled lovingly at Snape.

The Potions Master flushed and glared at his mate. "I'm sure that Professor Tsubasa isn't interested in your personal life, Lupin," he snapped.

Lupin just grinned at him and said, "You know, maybe we ought to get some sort of bonus or room allowance since we're saving the school money by sharing one room."

"It's not like Hogwarts has to pay rent on the castle, you idiot Gryffindor," Snape retorted. "There are more than enough rooms to go around; it doesn't make any financial difference whether you keep your own quarters or share mine." Then he noticed Tsubasa watching them, a blandly polite smile on his face, although Snape thought he detected a glint of amusement in the crane man's eyes. He hastily cleared his throat and said, "Anyway, we'll leave you to get settled in, Professor. The Headmaster has asked us to give you a tour of the castle later, if you're not too tired."

"I'm fine," Tsubasa assured him. "Although I'm sure that it will take a few days to adjust to the time difference. But at least I didn't have to spend several hours riding an airplane to get here."

"Muggle conveyances," Snape said contemptuously, with a dismissive wave of his hand.

"Well then, we'll come back for you in, say, an hour?" Lupin said pleasantly. "Dinner won't be served for a few hours more, but if you'd like a snack, you can call on the house-elves in the kitchen through the Floo."

"Thank you, Remus, but I'll be fine."

Lupin turned to leave, then paused and said, "Oh, and if you're up to it, you're invited to dinner at Diggory Manor tomorrow. Lukas--I've told you about him, haven't I?"

"Master Diggory, the Physical Defense instructor and Aric's pack leader," Tsubasa replied.

"Yes, well, he's throwing a little welcome-back party for Aric and Takeshi," Lupin continued. "And he'd like to welcome you to England as well, since you're Takeshi's cousin."

"That's very kind of him," Tsubasa said with a smile. "I would be honored to attend."

***

Lupin and Snape arrived early the next night, and spent some time chatting with Lukas, Narcissa, and Draco before the party started. Lupin had been a little worried that Draco might have some trouble adjusting to living with his new stepfamily, but he seemed fine. He was happy with his new job and his volunteer work; he seemed to get along well with the werewolves; and he didn't even seem jealous that Narcissa doted on the children in the pack like an indulgent aunt. It probably helped that the younger werewolves, like most people their age, were all Quidditch-mad, and looked up to Draco because he had been the Seeker of the Slytherin team. Draco had always liked being the center of attention at school, which wasn't always a good thing, but this time he didn't seem to be letting the attention go to his head. According to Dylan, Draco had been working hard at coaching the werewolves in their informal Quidditch matches, and Lupin thought that it was a good chance for him to be a positive role model.

Lupin whispered this to Snape, when Draco was busy talking to one of the werewolves. "Draco, a positive role model?" Snape replied, looking amused. "And he's been doing volunteer work, too. Please tell me that he hasn't turned into a Gryffindor!"

"Well, Dylan did say that he was only helping out at the clinic because he wanted to spend time with Serafina," Lupin laughed.

"Ah, so he does have an ulterior motive, after all," Snape said with a grin. "I'm relieved to know that he's still a Slytherin at heart."

Narcissa, too, seemed to have adjusted to her new life remarkably well. Both Snape and Lupin were startled to hear the pack children address her as "Aunt Cissy".

"Hell may freeze over after all," Snape muttered, and Lupin scolded, "Shh!"

Lukas overheard them, but just grinned in response. He seemed more relaxed and happy than Lupin had ever seen him before in the entire time that they'd known each other. "So how are the cubs doing?" he asked Lupin.

Lupin reported that Theodore was doing very well at his apprenticeship, and Snape was complaining about Dylan visiting Hermione in the Muggle world, when Takeshi, Aric, and Tsubasa arrived.

Tsubasa cut quite an impressive figure; he was dressed like a samurai lord in a silk kimono, hakama trousers, and haori coat, although he had left his swords at home this time. But it wasn't just his clothing that was impressive, but also his ethereal beauty and grace. Lupin noticed that the differences between a full-blood and a part-blood crane became quite apparent with Takeshi and Tsubasa standing side-by-side. Takeshi was a very handsome young man, but Tsubasa was so beautiful that he seemed almost too perfect to be human. Well, technically he wasn't human, so maybe it wasn't really all that surprising, but he was certainly going to turn a lot of heads at Hogwarts, in much the same way that Chizuru had.

Many of the werewolves were casting admiring glances his way, but Ash in particular was completely stunned. His jaw dropped and he stared at the crane man as if he had forgotten that anything else in the world existed.

"Hmm," Lupin murmured to Snape, observing the scene with interest. "Do I detect a hint of romance in the air?"

"More like lust," Snape said cynically. "And poor Randolf is completely outclassed."

"What do you mean, Severus?" Lupin asked.

"Well, just look at the two of them," Snape replied. "It would be like pairing a stray mutt and a pedigreed blue-blooded show dog."

"You mean, as impossible as a penniless werewolf and a pureblood Lord becoming lovers?" Lupin asked sweetly, and Snape snorted, half in amusement, and half in annoyance.

"Point taken," Snape conceded grudgingly. Then, as he watched Takeshi introduce Tsubasa to the werewolves, he added thoughtfully, "Hmm...perhaps it isn't such an impossibility, after all. Professor Tsubasa seems to be taking an interest in our stray werewolf."

"Really?" Lupin asked, hopefully but doubtfully. From his perspective, Tsubasa's attention seemed to be completely focused on the people that Takeshi was introducing him to. He wasn't even looking in Ash's direction.

"I was a spy, Lupin," Snape said in a superior tone of voice. "I can tell when someone is trying to watch someone else without being obvious about it. He's being very subtle, but if you look closely, you can see that he's watching Randolf out of the corner of his eye."

"I'll take your word for it, Sev," Lupin said, because to his eyes, Tsubasa still seemed completely unaware of Ash's presence. But perhaps that was suspicious in itself, since everyone else in the room could not help but notice the way that Ash was staring at Tsubasa. Aric was grinning smugly; Narcissa and Lukas looked amused; and the other werewolves were elbowing each other in the side and snickering quietly as they glanced at Ash.

"And this gentleman with his jaw hanging open is my dear friend Ash," Takeshi said, completing his introductions, having saved the dazed-looking werewolf for last. Ash finally snapped out of his trance, blushing and stammering out an introduction, but he recovered his wits quickly enough to impress Tsubasa slightly by greeting him in Japanese.

Snape noticed Lupin staring at the pair with an eager and speculative look in his eyes, and said dryly, "Mind your own business, Lupin."

"Why, whatever do you mean, Severus?" Lupin asked innocently.

"Don't play dumb with me, Lupin," Snape retorted. "And don't try to play matchmaker for those two, either. They're both adults, and they're perfectly capable of conducting their affairs--no pun intended--without your help." He glared at Lupin the way he would an unruly student, and said sternly, "No meddling!"

"Yes, Severus," Lupin said in a placating but distracted tone, as his attention was still focused on Ash and Tsubasa. Snape sighed in resignation; he supposed that trying to keep a Gryffindor out of mischief was a futile effort.

Lupin wasn't the only meddler, it seemed. Aric not-so-subtly saw to it that Tsubasa was seated next to Ash at dinner, and he grinned smugly throughout the entire meal. Tsubasa did not precisely flirt with Ash; he made polite small talk with the werewolf, but didn't appear to pay any more attention to him than he did the other dinner guests. However, he did continue to discreetly watch his admirer out of the corner of his eye, although he was so subtle about it that no one but Snape seemed to notice. Ash, on the other hand, was all too obvious, staring at his dinner companion with such adoration that he looked more like a wide-eyed puppy dog than a werewolf, despite the scar that usually gave him a rather sinister appearance.

The budding romance appeared to be getting off to a good start, with Ash extracting a promise of fencing lessons from Tsubasa. It was an obvious ploy, but Tsubasa played along with it willingly enough, so it seemed that he wasn't adverse to the werewolf's attentions.

When dinner was over, they returned to Snape Manor, but Lupin was feeling a little restless, so they walked in the garden together instead of heading straight to bed.

"Things seem to be going well between them," Lupin said in a conversational tone.

"I told you, don't meddle, Lupin," Snape said.

"I'm not," Lupin protested, a little too innocently. "I was just making an observation. Although Tsubasa is very reserved; it's hard to tell what he's thinking." He gave Snape a shrewd look. "I don't suppose that you picked up any...impressions...from him, did you, Sev?"

"I'm sure you're aware that it's considered unethical to use Legilimency on someone without their consent, Lupin," Snape replied coolly.

Lupin grinned. "And I'm also aware that the Slytherin notion of 'ethics' is somewhat flexible. Come on, Sev, 'fess up."

Snape sighed and gave in. If he hadn't loved Lupin so much, he would have been disturbed by how well Lupin could read him. Then again, most people expected the worst of a former Death Eater, so they might well have suspected Snape of using his powers to spy on people's thoughts, except that most of them weren't aware that he was a Legilimens. Lupin always seemed to know when Snape was up to something sneaky, but he never made Snape feel as if he was suspecting "the worst" of him, treating all Snape's flaws as if they were endearing traits.

Snape smiled at his lover, the expression on his face suddenly changing from annoyance to affection. "Well, without actively casting a spell and trying to enter someone's mind, I can only pick up vague impressions, not so much thoughts as emotions. Randolf's thoughts were apparent to everyone present, of course, no Legilimency required. In fact, they were so overwhelming that they nearly drowned out everything else." He shook his head and sighed, "Werewolves don't go into heat, do they?"

"It's female canines that go into heat, not males," Lupin laughed. "But no, werewolves don't go into heat, Severus."

"I don't know about that," Snape said dryly. "You seem to be in a perpetual state of heat." Lupin laughed again and nuzzled Snape's neck affectionately. "Anyway, despite Randolf's werewolf hormones raging out of control, I did pick up a definite sense of interest from Tsubasa. More of a sense of curiosity and attraction than love at first sight--or lust at first sight, as the case may be, but he's definitely interested. I suspect that Randolf will have to work at courting him, though."

"We werewolves can be very stubborn and determined when it comes to getting something we want," Lupin said, baring his teeth in a feral grin. "As you should know from experience."

That grin sent a little thrill of excitement running up and down Snape's spine, but he kept up a pose of indifference. Lupin knew better, of course, but it was part of the little game that they liked to play, each teasing and provoking the other. "Should I be worried that you're showing so much interest in another werewolf's lovelife, Lupin?" Snape asked, pretending to be offended. "Do I have a rival for your affections?"

"Never, Severus," Lupin said in a low growl, moving closer to his lover, not quite touching him but close enough for Snape to feel the warmth of Lupin's breath on his face. "It is only that I am so deliriously happy with you that I want everyone else to find happiness with their own loves."

Snape suddenly noticed how beautiful Lupin looked, with the moon casting a pale glow over him, causing the silver highlights in his hair to shine. "You look beautiful in the moonlight, Remus," he whispered, reaching up to run his hand through Lupin's hair, letting the golden-brown and silver strands slide through his fingers.

Lupin smiled at him tenderly. "I always feared and hated the moon before. Whenever I saw a boggart, it used to turn into a full moon. But now, because of you, I no longer need to fear the moon." He reached up and grasped Snape's hand, pulling it down from his hair to his lips, and gently kissing it. "Not just because the Wolfsbane Potion keeps me safe, but because you love the wolf in me. I love you so much, Severus." He leaned forward and finally allowed their lips to meet in a long, lingering kiss.

"Shall we continue this indoors?" Snape asked in a ragged voice when they came up for air.

Lupin laid his head on Snape's shoulder, resting comfortably in his lover's embrace. "In a minute, Severus. I'd like to stay out and enjoy the moonlight just a little longer."

So Snape wrapped his arms a little more tightly around Lupin, and they stood like that in the garden for a long time, neither of them moving. Entwined around each other, in the shadows of the garden, they might almost have looked like one person instead of two to someone observing from a distance, except for Lupin's hair, shining gold-and-silver in the moonlight against Snape's raven-black locks.

THE END

Next story in the series: Scars, Part 1